This invention relates to a knitting needle with a flexible cord, and more particularly to improvements in the knitting needle of such a particular type that has the flexible cord formed of synthetic resin and connected with one or two rigid needle shanks made of bamboo or wood.
More specifically, the invention relates to reinforcement at a junction between the flexible cord and the rigid needle body.
The knitting needles with a flexible cord are classified into two types, one being a circular type that has a pair of rigid needle bodies joined by an intermediate flexible cord as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, and another being a non-circular type that has a single rigid needle body connected to a flexible cord on which a stitch stop is mounted as illustrated in FIG. 2.
Conventionally, the needle bodies for the above two types have been made of metal or rigid synthetic resin. Recently, however, bamboo is actually utilized for manufacture of needle bodies for the above two type needles, and demand therefor increases year by year because of their good natural properties such as a proper weight, a good feeling in touch and an easiness to provide a slippery and lustrous surface.
As is well known, however, bamboo is not so tough and strong in nature as metal and rigid synthetic resin. Naturally, a bamboo needle body is easily damageable or broken especially at its thin-walled rear terminal end to which a flexible cord is connected.
Therefore, several attempts have been made to provide reinforcement at a junction between the flexible cord and the bamboo needle body, as disclosed for example in the Applicant's Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open Nos. 59-37384 (laid-open Mar. 9, 1984, Application No. 57-131060, filed Aug. 30, 1982) and 59-109791 (laid-open July 24, 1984, Application No. 58-2534, filed Jan. 11, 1983), in which a rigid, tubular reinforcing member having no enlarged head is fully inserted into and fastened to an axial bore formed in a thin-walled rear end section of a bamboo needle body, and a connecting end section of a flexible cord is inserted into and fastened to the tubular reinforcing member.
However, the reinforcing structure proposed in the above two prior arts have proved insufficient because a thin-walled rear terminal end of the bamboo needle body is too weak and fragile.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved joint structure for connecting a flexible cord to a rear end section of a bamboo needle body, which permits a sufficient reinforcement at a junction between the needle body and the flexible cord.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved joint structure for connecting a flexible cord to a rear end section of a bamboo needle body, which permits a smooth surface continuity at a junction between the needle body and the flexible cord.
The joint structure according to the invention is readily applicable to the connection of a flexible cord with a wood needle body which may be substituted for a bamboo needle body.
It is, therefore, a further object of the invention to provide a reinforced joint structure for connecting the flexible cord to a rear end section of the wood needle body.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter.
According to the present invention, there is provided a knitting needle with a flexible cord, comprising: at least one rigid needle body made of bamboo or wood and having a tapered rear end section which includes a rearward joint face and a substantially conical peripheral surface and has an axial bore formed therein; a reinforcing member which is inserted into and fastened to the axial bore of the rear end section and has an axial mounting bore formed therein; and a flexible cord formed of a synthetic resin and having an enlargement which includes a forward joint face, a substantially conical peripheral surface and an axial extension extending forwardly from the enlargement into the axial mounting bore of the reinforcing member and fastened thereto, characterized in that the reinforcing member is a headed reinforcing member which includes a cylindrical shank and an enlarged head formed at a rear end of the shank and has an axial mounting bore extending through the enlarged head into the shank, the enlarged head including a substantially conical peripheral surface, a forward joint face and a rearward joint face, wherein the peripheral surface of the enlarged head of the reinforcing member is interposed between and substantially flush with the peripheral surfaces of the rear end section and the enlargement, and the rearward joint face of the rear end section is bonded to the forward joint face of the enlarged head while the forward joint face of the enlargement is bonded to the rearward joint face of the enlarged head.